1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is broadly concerned with a die cutter providing ready interchangability of die elements whereby the die elements may be properly aligned and retained in position, and which minimizes the wear to the cutting edge of the die for die cutting by hand. More particularly, it is concerned with a die cutter which is small, can be readily used by hand for limited runs, and includes a receiver which quickly locates the die element carried thereby and locks it in position, preferably over a pad of relatively soft material so that the life of the cutting edge is maximized during cutting of a web of sheet material.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Die cutting is a process whereby a series of shapes may be uniformly cut from a web of sheet material by a die presenting a cutting edge thereon. Die cutters are well known in the printing industry where large numbers of shapes are cut from, for example, a continuous roll of paper. However, such die cutting machines are designed for mass production cutting a large number of shapes, and are thus large, expensive, and require the use of associated machinery for feeding and take-up of the web.
In many smaller operations, sheets of paper, photographs, gaskets and other webs of sheet material may need to be cut to a uniform shape on a low volume or individual run basis. Many retail establishments would like to have the ability to have a small, relatively inexpensive die cutter provided with a variety of interchangeable dies, but such die cutters are largely unknown. An especially important consideration is the ease with which the dies may be changed because such operations may demand that only one or two die cut labels, gaskets, or other products may be required at a time.
In addition, the individual dies often include a cutting edge of steel in a shape as specified by the user. Such dies may be custom made and sold at a price determined by the number of lineal inches of the cutting edge. When the dies become worn, they are difficult to sharpen to maintain a precise and even cutting surface, and thus replacement may be required when the surface below the web to be cut dulls the edge. At least as serious is the uneven wearing of the edge, whereby the cutting edge strikes the web unevenly, producing only partial cuts of the web corresponding to only a portion of the cutting edge. The end result is premature replacement of the die, which can prove quite expensive.
Finally, the web itself is often free to move about beneath the die element. A stable anvil or platform beneath the web is thus desirable. When the surrounding portion of the material cut by the cutting edge is the portion to be used, the net result may well be that the assembled product, for example a custom greeting card, is out of registry because the web was not consistently positioned through successive cutting operations.